Reserving device



P. F. BARON RESERVING DEVICE Filed Aug. 19, 1938 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 11, 1941 UITED STATES PATEN FFHCE 3 Claims. I

This invention relates to a reserving device and is designed primarilyfor use in restaurants and other places where it is desired to providespecial reservations of chairs and table places for customers.

It has been the practice heretofore to place signs of different kinds ontables to indicate that places have been reserved but these signsfrequently have been disturbed or pushed out of place accidentally withthe result that the desired reservation has not been maintained.

An object of the present invention is to provide a reserving devicewhich is attached to a chair, one of the devices being provided witheach chair and normally suspended therefrom.

It is a further object to provide a reserving device which, when in use,is extended from the chair and placed in proper position on the tablethereby to indicate that the particular place at the table has beenreserved and that the particular chair has been reserved for the samecustomer. Thus the customer is assured not only of a place at the tablebut also of a chair for use at that place and confusion resulting fromremoval by customers of chairs from one place to another and consequentshortage of chairs for customers having reservations, is eliminated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in use.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the reserving device in position onthe back of the chair, as when not in use.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the place indicator.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the means employed for attaching thedevice to the back of a chair.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a slightly modifled form of the placeindicating device.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates ablock of any desired size and proportions. It is preferred to make thesame triangular in cross section so as to provide a broad base 2 andupwardly converging side faces 3. On these latter faces can be displayedthe word Reserved or any other suitable information. From one end of theblock is extended an eye or other attaching means 4, which, in turn, canbe connected by a chain 5 or the like to a hook 6 extending from a base1 which is adapted to be secured to the back of a chair C. The hook isused primarily for engaging an eye 8 extending from one end of the blockremote from the eye 4 so that the block thus can be supported back ofthe chair when not in use.

Under normal conditions each chair has one of these devices suspendedfrom the back thereof as shown in Figure 2. When it is desired toreserve a place at a table T, a chair is placed in proper position atsaid place after which the block is disengaged from hook 6 and thenplaced in proper position on the table. Thus the place at the table andthe chair are joined and both the chair and the place are then held inreserve. If desired, and for the purpose of preventing any accidentaldisplacement of the block I after it has been placed on the table, anysuitable means may be provided for fastening it detachably to the table.For example the bottom of the block I could be provided with one or moresuction cups as indicated at 8 in Figure 6. Thus by pressing the blockfirmly upon the smooth surface of the table, the suction cup will gripthe surface and hold the block thereto. Obviously means other than asuction cup could be used for this purpose.

The block I can be made of any desired material such as wood, metal,Bakelite, etc.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a chair, of means for reserving the chair and apredetermined position at a table, said means including an indicatingblock, a flexible connection between the block and chair, and means onthe block for attachment to the surface of the table at a space to bereserved.

2. The combination with a table and a chair, said table having a spacereserved for the occupant of the chair, of a flexible detachableconnection between the chair and that portion of the surface of thetable being reserved.

3. The combination with a table and a chair, said table having a spacereserved for the occupant of the chair, of a flexible detachableconnection between the chair and table at said reserved space, saidconnection including an indicating block, means connecting the block tothe chair, and means on the block for detachably engaging the surface ofthe table at the reserved space thereon to hold the chair thereto.

PATRICK F. BARON.

